Did they have all those items? He checked them off. Their single five KT bomb contained at least enough plutonium for two critical masses, if brought together inside a good neutron reflector. Each mass should give about a two kiloton explosion. And they did have a good neutron reflector—nuclite. There wasn't anything better for the purpose.
"What have we got for a neutron source?" he asked aloud. He was really asking himself, but he got a quick answer from Koa.
"Sir, some of the stuff left in the craters from the other explosions gives off neutrons."
"You're right," Rip agreed instantly. A small piece from one of the craters, when combined with half of the neutron source in the bomb, should be enough. As for the explosive, they had exploding heads on[pg 174] their attack rockets.
In other words, he had what he needed—except for a method of putting all the pieces together to create a bomb.
If only they had a tube of some sort that would withstand the chemical explosion—the one that brought the critical mass together!
He told the Planeteers what he had been thinking, then asked, "Any ideas for a tube?"
"How about a tube from the snapper-boat?" Santos suggested.
Rip shook his head. "Not strong enough. They're designed to withstand the slow push of rocket fuel, not the fast rap of an explosion. When I say slow, I mean slow-burning when compared with explosive. Who has another idea?"
Kemp, the expert torchman, said, "Sir, I can burn you a tube into the asteroid."